Method of pressing shoes



Nov. 9, 1937. w. c. CARD. an 8,

METHOD OF PRE SSING SHOES Original Filed March 11, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet lMill Hill- J m I INVENTOR l I ATTORNEY$ Nov. 9, 193.7 CARD, 2,098,773

METHOD OF PRESSING SHOES ori inal Fild March \11, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR ill Patented Nov. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES METHOD OF PRESSINGSHOES William 0. Card, Jr., Winthrop, Mass, assignor to Compo ShoeMachinery Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of DelawareOriginal application March 11, 1931, Serial No. 522,738. Divided andthis application June 19,

1935, Serial No. 27,288

3 Claims. 7 (Cl. 12-142) This invention relates to the manufacture ofcemented shoes and more particularly to that step in the manufacture ofsuch shoes which involves aflixing the outer sole to the lasted upper bymeans of an adhesive cement.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved method ofcement affixing an outsole to a lasted upper by means of an inflatablepressure applying pad operating in conjunction with an associated shoesupporting means.

More particularly, objects of the invention are to provide a method ofpressing an outer sole to an upper which involves a considerable savingin the amount of time and effort expended by the operator, withconsequent advantages and economies in production of the shoes.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in partappear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and the relationof one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others thereof,which will be exemplified in the method hereinafter disclosed, and thescope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the inventionreference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 7

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of one form of apparatus suited to carry outthe invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same apparatus with the positionof a pressed shoe indicated in dotted lines;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a front elevation showing the valve mechanism.

This case is a division of applicants copending application Serial No.522,738, filed March 11, 1931 which matured into Letters Patent No.2,059,847 granted Nov. 3, 1936.

The method of the present invention is adapted to expedite sole pressingoperations such as sole aflixing, laying or leveling, and may be carriedout by means of any suitable apparatus. This method can readily beunderstood when described in conjunction with the herein illustratedform of apparatus which is especially suited to its performance.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in the form of apparatusshown there is provided a base member which is generally rectangular inshape and may be conveniently made of light metal such as aluminum orthe like. It! is provided with a cavity II, the bottom of Thebase iwhich is shaped to conform in longitudinal contour substantially to ashoe last, and in which is disposed in inflatable rubber pad [2 whichmay, if desired, be provided with a casing l3 of leather or the like.

Extending medially across the base portion from front to rear is a bowmember l4 adapted to support an instep pad l and a bearing member l6.The instep pad 15 may comprise a mushroom shaped'rubber pad having itsstem l1 carried within a recess [8 in a lug l9 which projects downwardlyfrom the bow member [4.

The bearing member [6 may take the form of a flat plate adapted to bearagainst the upper. heel portion of the last and supported from the bowmember M by a screw nipple 2D. This construction permits the bearingmember [6 to engage with lasts of varying lengths and makes itunnecessary accurately to position the lasted shoe beneath the bearingmember and the instep pad.

The casing I3 has a bottom portion 22 adapted to lie along and conformto the bottom portion of the cavity II and a top portion 23, adapted tobear up against the underside of the shoe. The portions 22 and 23 arejoined by a vertical portion 24 of a height substantially level with thesole to permit the top portion 23 to bear up above the level of thesoleat its periphery so as to exert pressure against the sole even at itsextreme edge. To effect this result, it is desirable that the topportion 23 be materially concaved, even when shoes of small verticalheight are being constructed. This makes it possible to utilize the sameclamp for shoes of difierent heights without the necessity of having theparts mechanically adjustable since the form of casing employed makes itpossible to obtain the effect of such adjustment by the flexibility ofthe pad itself. The. inflatable pad I2 is of such shape and contouras toconform to the interior of the casing.

This vertical portion 24 preferably supports the top portion 23 whichconstitutes the bearing surface to engage the underside of the sole'at'aslightly higher level at the instep portion than at the other portionsof the shoe, and the bearing surface 23 is also preferably somewhatwider at its center than at the ends in order that the proper pressuremay be assured at all points.

A conduit 28 extending through the bottom of the pad 12 and of the baseIt) is held in place by a nut 29 to make an air tight joint. This con-,duit carries at its outer end a valve 30. Such valve may be of anysuitable or known type the bow member I4, and construction of the bow 7member 14 in a rigid or fixed form eliminates the pivoted clamping andball members heretofore usually used, whereby the time and energy of theoperator is saved.

The press herein described is desirably cone nected to a continuousconveyor by means of lugs 45 so that the press may be carriedconveniently to and from a shoe receiving station, and it will beunderstood that mechanism may beemployed, either automatic or manual,for connecting with the valve 3% to deflate the pad in order to removetheshoe and to admit air to the pad when a new shoe has been inserted in.place.

With the present form of invention, different heights of shoe may betaken care of without the necessity of adjusting the instep pad or theheel pad because the top surface of the casing is such that even whenthe enclosed pad is well inflated, it will nevertheless extend upwardlyaround the shoe at the sides of the sole to maintain the adjustment ofthe sole firmly in contact with the lasted upper to insure the completeadhesion as the cement dries. With this form of the invention,therefore, it is necessary only to insert the lasted shoe in place, andit will be firmly engaged as soon as air is admitted to the pad.

In operating the described apparatus, the operator loads the lastedupper and the outsole, with adhesive therebetween, between an immovablesupport and an inflatable pad, and the support is kept immovablethroughout successive loading operations, the pad alone "-being inflatedthrough a suflicient vertical displacement to enable it to press thesole against the lasted upper. The pad is so constructed that it is evenable to compensate by inflation alone for substantial variations inemployed last sizes.

From the above description it will be seen that the present methodavoids the time consuming adjustments of the toe and heel post supportswhich heretofore have always been relatively movable with respect to thepad support. It will be understood that this method can be carried outon any suitable form of apparatus in which the toe and heel supports arecapable of being kept fixed with respect to the pad support duringsuccessive loading operations and in which the pad is capable ofpressing the types of shoes to be worked on against such supportingposts. An

especial advantage in the method is obtained when the verticalexpansibility of the pad is made great enough to compensate by inflationalone for variations in employed last sizes, even when these range overa considerable scale. It will also be seen that the method is useful invarious sole pressing operations such as aflixing, laying and leveling.

Since certain changes may be made in carrying out the above methodwithout departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended thatall matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and .specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as amatter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, whatI claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is: l. A method of aflixing soles to shoes whichcomprises, locating an outer sole on a lasted upper with adhesivetherebetween, loading-the 1 L respect to said pad support throughoutsuccessive loading operations, and expanding the upper surface of saidpad through a vertical displacement suflicient to enable it to press thesole against the lasted upper and to compensate by pad expansion alonefor substantial variations in employed last sizes.

3. A method of pressing soles on the bottoms of lasted shoes whichcomprises, providing afluid pressure pad and a pad support, loading ashoe between said pad and a shoe support with its a.

sole resting on the pad, keeping said'shoesupport immovable with respectto said pad support throughout successive loading operations,

and expanding the upper surface of said pad through a verticaldisplacement sufficient to clamp said shoe under pressure between thepad and. shoe support and to compensate by pad expansion alone forsubstantial variations in em ployed last sizes.

WILLIAM C. CARD, JR.

